KARACHI: DawnMedia is launching an initiative to combat climate change, ‘Breathe Pakistan’, that aims to mobilise citizens to incorporate environmental sustainability in their daily lives.

“As Pakistan faces an escalating challenge from unbridled climate change, and the country witnesses scorching heat waves, widespread glacier melt and extensive urban and rural flooding, DawnMedia has announced the launch of its latest initiative ‘Breathe Pakistan’,” according to a statement issued by the company.

“At DawnMedia, we believe in the power of unity — coming together for one collective purpose, even if in modest ways,” said Dawn CEO Nazafreen Saigol-Lakhani.

“Our campaign represents growth, renewal, and a call for every Pakistani to reclaim our environment with pride and ownership. It’s not only about action — it’s about influencing broader policy change and setting the foundation for a sustainable future.”

The Breathe Pakistan campaign attempts to create a wider awareness through a cross-platform media approach. In the course of the campaign, DawnMedia will establish closer contacts with environmental activists and think tanks in an attempt to build a coherent strategy for the near future with a conference in early 2025 to address the adverse effects of climate change in Pakistan.

Initiative aims to create a wider awareness through engaging campaigns on multiple mediums

Pakistan has been listed among the 15 countries with the highest disaster risk, according to the World Risk Index 2024 report published last month.

A World Bank report released in December last year pointed out that eight in 10 people in Pakistan were concerned about impacts of climate change. The report, Climate Silence in Pakistan, observed that climate change has profoundly affected Pakistan, manifesting in altered weather patterns and devastating floods.

According to government estimates, the unprecedented floods of 2022 claimed 1,700 lives and affected 33 million people in the country, serving as a testament to the devastating effects of climate change.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024